Chapter 16: Galarian Moltres the Malevolent Bird!

After glancing at a simple map, Marnie pointed toward a nearby peninsula and finally spoke to Lucas.

The Crown Tundra was an enormous region. Although they had already left the snowy mountain range, they were still within the borders of the Crown Tundra.

"Alright," Lucas replied with a smile, setting aside his wandering thoughts.

The Dyna Tree Hill—true to its name, the center of this three-sided lake-surrounded peninsula was home to a towering, ancient tree.

It was a red, colossal tree, with deep crimson leaves resembling maple foliage. As a light breeze rustled through, the falling leaves swirled gently in the air—utterly breathtaking.

The two of them arrived beneath the great tree. From his dimensional backpack, Lucas pulled out a picnic cloth and laid it on the grassy ground, then brought out some simple food.

"Mmm~ It smells so good. They say the scenery at Dyna Tree Hill is second to none in the entire Crown Tundra. And those who come here are said to be blessed by Lady Luck herself. I think I can really feel it now," Marnie said softly as she bit into a piece of bread, chewing leisurely. Leaning against the tree, she gazed at the peaceful and beautiful scenery around them, her voice filled with comfort.

Surrounded by shimmering lakes glowing faintly with bioluminescence, lush green grass, and blooming wildflowers—this place was truly stunning.

"Whether it's luck or not, I don't know. But I agree—it really is beautiful," Lucas said as he leaned beside Marnie, smiling in agreement. He had to admit: the breathtaking beauty of nature in the Pokémon world was nothing short of a miracle.

"Good thing you didn't say anything to ruin the mood," Marnie shot him a sideways glance. As she looked at Lucas's handsome profile, she hesitated for a moment, then gently leaned her head against his shoulder.

Her heart was pounding faster than usual, but she didn't care. When she realized that Lucas wasn't reacting to it at all, she let out a faint, nearly inaudible sigh of relief.

But the moment she came back to her senses, her fair, flawless face flushed pink. What am I even doing…?

This girl, seriously~

Though Marnie tried to stay calm, Lucas, who knew her better than anyone, could easily sense her nervousness.

The corner of his mouth curved upward. Reaching around her back with his left arm, he gently wrapped it around her slim waist, pulling her to rest against his chest.

"A shoulder's nowhere near as comfy as a chest, you know~" he murmured, resting his chin lightly on the top of her head and breathing in the faint, clean scent of her hair.

Marnie rolled her eyes but didn't pull away. Instead, she smiled subtly as she continued nibbling on her bread.

She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but even the wind felt gentler now... and the air—somehow—smelled sweeter too?

Unfortunately, the peaceful atmosphere didn't last for long.

"Screee~!"

A sharp, almost ear-piercing cry echoed again and again across the sky, entering their ears.

A black-and-red giant bird slowly flew toward them from the distant horizon. Its tail feathers, crest, and wings seemed to burn with intertwining shades of black and red flames. Its beak was curved, its legs red, and its talons were jet-black and razor-sharp.

This was a bird Pokémon that exuded an eerie and sinister aura just from appearance alone!

But when Lucas got a good look at it, his crimson eyes lit up. The corners of his mouth stretched into a wide grin filled with excitement and mischief.

"Galarian Moltres!"

In an instant, Lucas recognized the ominous bird Pokémon before him.

With such a distinct appearance and overpowering presence, it was unmistakable.

"There really is a Moltres…"

Marnie, too, was stunned when she saw the Galarian Moltres. Her delicate face froze in shock, and her eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

Just earlier, she had mocked the rumors, saying, "Only fools believe that there's a Legendary Pokémon in the Crown Tundra. Probably just some rumor spread by people with ulterior motives."

And now…

Smack! Reality slapped her across the face.

But now wasn't the time for that. Lucas and Marnie quickly stood up. The black-and-red flames burning along the Moltres's body were dazzling and sinister—and more importantly…

"It's heading toward us."

Lucas's crimson eyes flashed. The Galarian Moltres was flying straight in their direction.

No… more accurately, it was flying toward the giant tree!

"Still, this must be luck. Marnie, want to try and catch it?" Lucas asked, his smile widening, clearly in a great mood.

Yesterday he had managed to catch Eternatus, and now today, he had unexpectedly encountered a Galarian Moltres.

This was just… incredible.

Although Moltres was considered a "lesser" legendary compared to higher-tier ones like Eternatus, a legendary was still a legendary!

They were the most exalted beings in this world—most people would never even see one in their lifetime.

"...I'll pass."

Marnie's heart stirred at the thought, her eyes shimmering with light as she gazed at the black-and-red Moltres.

But after sensing the immense pressure emanating from it, she spoke with a tinge of regret.

She knew Lucas wasn't just being polite. His true passion was dragons.

And compared to Eternatus, Moltres was really just icing on the cake.

Still…

Sorry, excuse me, please don't mind me—I don't think I can beat this wild Moltres…

Marnie felt a little melancholy. This Moltres didn't look like an easy opponent at all.

Meeting the right Pokémon at the wrong time… Marnie suddenly felt a strange sense of spiritual enlightenment.

"You take this one, Lucas."

Letting out a soft breath, Marnie's face returned to calm.

It's just a flaming bird, right? Like I care! As if I'm the kind of girl who gets excited over that!

Pfft! My true legendary goal is Yveltal! This stupid spicy chicken Moltres? Not even worth it!

"What's wrong, Marnie? No need to feel bad—it's just a Moltres. There'll be other chances," Lucas said, blinking as he looked at Marnie's face, tightly pursed and for the first time showing a bit of unwillingness. He thought for a moment, then added a gentle word of comfort.

"..."

Whatever lingering regret Marnie had instantly evaporated.

"Screee~!"

As the two chatted, Galarian Moltres had already landed on one of the large tree's branches, perching there elegantly as it began preening its feathers.

It seemed completely unaware of the two humans below.

Or perhaps it had noticed them but simply didn't care. After all, to it, they were just humans—nothing worth paying attention to.

It wasn't the first time it had encountered humans, after all. Calm and composed~

"What a proud bird. Interesting," Lucas murmured, watching the Moltres resting on the branch as if no one else were around. The corners of his lips curled up.

That arrogance… he rather liked it.

"Dragonair, use Dragon Pulse!"

Tossing out Dragonair's Poké Ball, Lucas issued the order without hesitation.

With a flash of white light, the elegant and slender Dragonair soared into the sky. It opened its mouth, unleashing a beam of dragon energy that split the air as it shot toward Moltres.

The sneak attack came swiftly and without warning.

The lazy gaze in Galarian Moltres's eyes instantly sharpened, but the attack was too fast!

Still perched and preening, Moltres was caught off-guard by the Dragon Pulse. With a pained cry, it was struck and knocked out of the tree, crashing heavily into the grass below.

"Screee!"

But in the next moment, Galarian Moltres flapped its wings and rose back into the air, glaring fiercely at Dragonair. It let out a piercing, furious cry.

How dare you sneak attack the great Moltres like that?! Unforgivable!

Moltres shrieked again, the sound filled with malice and rage. Around it, black-and-red flames rose like pillars, swirling ominously in the air.

Dazzling, chaotic, and malevolent.

"Legend says that Galarian Moltres possesses power like crashing mountains and tidal waves. Its aura can manifest as raging pillars of fire, and if anyone comes into contact with its burning, wicked presence, their soul will wither—reduced to nothing but white ash."

Marnie's eyes sparkled as she spoke, recalling the legend surrounding Galarian Moltres.

"Yeah, just based on visuals alone, Galarian Moltres blows Kanto Moltres out of the water." Lucas nodded in agreement. Say what you will, but just that terrifying aura of dark fire made this version of Moltres look leagues beyond the roasted chicken-wing Kanto version.

"???"

Marnie's eye twitched. What do you mean visuals? That's not CGI—that's real fire aura!

And as if it had heard Lucas's evaluation, Galarian Moltres turned its blazing eyes toward him.

Sharp glare! Death stare!

What did this human just say about me?!

Feeling the piercing gaze from Galarian Moltres, Lucas acted as though he hadn't noticed at all. A playful smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Moltres, our encounter must be fate. If I defeat you—come with me."

"Hiding away in the Crown Tundra like this... that's no place for a being like you."

Tilting his head back slightly, Lucas smiled at the legendary bird.

Compared to how he had treated Eternatus, Lucas was much more casual when it came to Galarian Moltres.

And that was only natural. This was just one of the three legendary birds—did it really deserve any grand display?

Even among legendaries, there were levels. Moltres and its peers belonged to the lowest class among them—what he called the "bottom tier."

If it didn't know how to behave, he'd just knock it out and take it. No need to waste too much thought on it.

"Screee~!"

Moltres cried out sharply and responded with action.

If you want to capture me—then show me your strength!

Dark-purple energy particles gathered in front of its beak, forming into a wave that it shot straight toward Dragonair.

Dark Pulse!

"Dragon Pulse." Lucas calmly countered.

Dragonair gathered dragon energy in its mouth again, launching another Dragon Pulse to collide head-on with the incoming Dark Pulse.

Green-blue light and black energy clashed violently in midair. But soon, Dragonair's beam overpowered the Dark Pulse, pressing it back and heading straight for Moltres.

Moltres's eyes narrowed, and it swiftly dodged to the side.

"Not bad at all," Lucas raised an eyebrow in interest. No wonder this bird was so arrogant—its strength was indeed decent.

Its power was probably on par with a top-tier Elite Four trainer. And with its legendary physique, it was likely that even most Elite trainers wouldn't be able to take it down.

"Too bad it's not a Dragon-type."

Lucas let out a small sigh. Though it was called Moltres, the Galarian form wasn't Fire-type at all—it was a dual-type: Flying and Dark.

(End of Chapter)